Turbine starting and control apparatus



Sept. 19, 1950 R. H. GODDARD TURBINE STARTING AND CONTROL APPARATUSFiled July 26, 1946 guides l0.

uurrao STATES .PATE-NT, caries TURBINE STARTING. AND GON TROL APPARATUS-Robert H. Goddardgtdeceased, lineor Annapolis, Md., by Esther C.Goddard, executrix, Paxton, Mass., assignor of one-half to The Danieland Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a. corporation ofNew York Application July 26, 1946, Serial No. 686,390-

8 Claims. (Cl. Gil-35.6)

This invention relates to the operation of turbines by nozzle-dischargedcombustion gases, and particularly to the starting and control of suchturbines.

It is the general object of the invention to provide means to vary theposition of the turbines with respect to the path of travel of thedischarged combustion gases in such manner that a selected desiredcondition may be maintained. Such condition may relate to themaintenance of constant thrust, constant acceleration, constant chamberpressure, or to compensation for decreasing fuel load.

To the accomplishment of this general object, improved apparatus isprovided for automatically maintaining the desired condition oradjustment and for changing the setting of the turbines in response tochanges in operating conditions.

More specifically the invention relates to means for moving a pair ofturbines toward or away from the stream of discharged combustion gasesin response to changes in selected operating conditions.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved turbine starting and controlapparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional front elevation of certain parts shownin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a turbine and associatedparts;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified construction;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a further modification;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of certain parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the upper end of the casing shown inFigs. 5 and 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified turbine blade construction; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the blade shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing, a combustion chamber C is provided with adischarge nozzle N and is mounted for limited axial movement in rollerat its upper or closed end, it is connected by telescoping pipes l5 andIE to starting tanks l1 and I8 enclosed within low-pressure storagetanks and 2| adapted to contain liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizingagent.

A high pressure tank 22 contains an inert gas, such as nitrogen orhelium, and is connected through a valve '23, pipe 24 and branch pipes25 to the starting tanks l1 and i8. When the valve 23 is manuallyopened, gaseous pressure is applied to the tanks I1 and I9 and theliquid contents thereof are discharged into the combustion chamber Cthrough the pipes l5 and I6. Any suitable ignition means (not shown) isprovided for then igniting the gases from the intermingled mixture andthus starting combustion.

Turbines and 3| are mounted at the rear or below the nozzle N, and theturbine buckets or vanes 32 project into the path of the dischargedcombustion gases. The turbine 30 is belt connected to drive a pump P bywhich liquid from the storage tank 2| is forced into the combustionchamber 0. The turbine 3| similarly drives a pump P connected to deliverliquid from the tank 20 to the combustion chamber C.

The starting tanks H and I8 are provided with vent connections 35 havingcheck valves 36, and with filling pipes 31 provided with check valves38. With this construction, the starting tanks I1 and I8 will beautomatically refilled as soon as the valve 23 is manually orautomatically closed to shut off the high pressure gas.

For a more complete description of the construction and operation of thestarting and storage tanks and of the high pressure gas tank, referenceis made to the prior patent of- Robert H. Goddard, No. 2,397,659, issuedApril 2, 1946.

The turbines 30 and 3| are mounted on frames or carriers which aresupported by pinions 42 and 43 which engage racks 44 on a fixedsupporting frame 45 through which the nozzle N is slidable. The pinions43 are engaged by racks 46 at the lower ends of vertically extendingrods 50.

The racks 46 are held in mesh with the pinions 43 by guide rolls 5|rotatably mounted in the carriages 40 and engaging the back edges of therods 50. At ,their upper ends, the rods 50 are connected to a crossplate 53 which in turn is supported by a collar 54 (Fig. 2) fixed on arod 55 mounted on the upper end of the combustion chamber C and axiallymovable therewith.

The angular movement of the rod 50 is very slight, with a maximum limitof 1.5", but if considered desirable, flexible joints may be provided inthe rods 50 as shown in Fig. 3 of Goddard Patent No. 2,450,950, issuedOctober 12, 1948.

A coil spring (Fig. 2) is interposed between the upper end of thecombustion chamber C and a disc 6| threaded in a fixed sleeve 62. The

spring normally forces the combustion chamber down against stops '4(Fig. 1) and resists the upward thrust of the chamber. As the thrustincreases, the chamber C will be displaced upwardly relative to the discll and against the resistance of the spring 00. Such upward movementraises the rods 50 and racks 40 relative to the carriers 40 and theirfixed supporting frame 40.

The pinion 43 in the left-hand carrier 40 will thus be rotatedanti-clockwise and will effect a controlled outward movement of theturbine 30 away from the stream or discharged combustion gases. This inturn will reduce the speed of the turbine 30 and will correspondinglyreduce the amount of combustion liquid delivered to the combustionchamber by the pump P. The companion turbine II is similarly movedoutward to reduce the delivery by the pump P.

Consequently, the delivery of combustion 11114 uids to the chamber Cwill be controlled to maintain any desired upward thrust of thecombustion chamber, and this upward thrust may be selectively varied byadjusting the disc (Fig. 2) in the fixed sleeve 02. The gears 43 may beof such comparative size as will give a combustion mixture of preferredproportions of fuel and oxidizer.

In order to vary the controlled upward thrust during the operation ofthe combustion chamber C, the structure shown in the upper part of Fig.2

is provided. A fixed casing I0 has an upper chamber II to which a gasunder pressure may. be supplied through a pipe I2 controlled by athree-way valve 13.

A bellows operator I4 in the chamber II has its end disc I5 connected bya rod 10, cross arm ll, tie rods 18 and cross arm to a collar .80 fixedon the upright rod 55 previously described. The collar 80 is attached tothe cross arm. I8 and forms a hub or bushing therefor.

The casing 10 also contains a lower chamber 02 and a disc 83 mounted atthe upper end of the upright rod 55. The gas pressure in the lowerchamber 82 is controlled by a three-way valve 04 in a supply pipe 85.

If the upper chamber II is vented and gas is admitted to apply anydesired pressure in the chamber 82, this gas pressure will be added tothe pressure of the spring 60 and the combustion chamber will beregulated to operate at a greater thrust than would be demanded by thespring 60 alone. The valve 84 should be manually returned to closedposition as soon as the desired pressure is reached in the chamber 02If, on the other hand, it is desired to regulate for decreased thrust,gas pressure is built up in the upper chamber II and the lower chamber82 is vented. The pressure in the upper chamber II then acts inopposition to the spring 00 and thus reduces its resistance to upwardmovement of the chamber C. If both chambers II and 82 are vented, thespring 60 alone controls the operation as originally described.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4, the position of theturbines and the corresponding output of the pumps is controlled by thepressure of the gases in a fixed combustion chamber C.

This combustion chamber C is provided with an auxiliary casing 90connected into the chamber by an open passage 9| at the upper end of thechamber and containing a bellows operator 02 having an end disc 93mounted on an upright rod 94. The rod 94 carries a grooved collar 05corresponding to the collar 04 shown in Fig. 2

and operating the cross arm II and upright rods 00 as previouslydescribed. A spring 08 is mounted between a disc 01 on the rod 04 and adisc 00 threaded in a fixed sleeve 00. The spring 00 corresponds iniunction to the spring 00 shown in Fig. 2.

With this construction, an. increase in pressure in the chamber Ccompresses the bellows operator l2 and the spring 00 and causes theturbines to be moved away from the path of the discharged gases aspreviously described. The control apparatus in this case maintainsuniform chamber pressure rather than uniform thrust.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 a. construction is shown by which the feed of thetwo liquids may be varied in diilerent proportions. In this form of theinvention, a separate control device is provided for varying the inwardor outward adjustment of each turbine.

Each of these devices comprises a casing I00 (Fig. 6) having ears IOIpivoted on a fixed cross pin I02. The casing I00 contains a bellowsoperator I03 having an end disc I04 connected to the upper end of a rodI05 corresponding to the upright'rod 50 in Fig. 1 and engaging a pinionI00 (Fig. 5) on a carriage I01 corresponding to one oi the carriages 40.

A spring H0 at its upper end engages the disc I04 and at its lower endengages the bottom of the casing I00 which is vented at I00a. A pipe IIZconnects the casing I00 to the interior of a combustion chamber notshown but corresponding to the chambers C and C previously described. Asthe chamber pressure increases, the spring H0 is compressed and the rodI05 is pushed downward.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the rod I05 in this construction isoutside of the pinion I06 rather than being inside as shown in Fig. 1.Consequently, downward movement of the rod I05 shifts the turbineoutward, whereas in Fig. 1 upward movement of the rod 50 producesoutward movement.

Each rod I05 may be threaded as indicated at Iii to receive a nut II6which may be adjusted thereon and which acts as a stop by engagementwith the vented bottom of the casing I00, thus limiting downwarddisplacement of the rod I05 and corresponding outward movement of theturbine at any desired operating adjustment. The turbines will return tofull inward positions prior to starting.

The construction shown in Figs. 5 to 7 is to be duplicated for eachturbine, and the springs IIO may be selected to produce any desired feedof each combustion liquid. A change in pressure in the combustionchamber will produce a change in feed proportionate to the strength ofthe spring H0 in each control device.

A preferred construction or turbine blades and discharge passages isshown in Fig. 3, in which the gases engage the blades 32 and dischargeendwise therefrom. The discharged gases are receivedin curved casingsI20 by which they are diverted substantially rearward.

If the speed of the turbine blades is approximately one-half that of thecombustion gases, the resultant rearward movement of the gases becomesnegligible and the casings I20 may be omitted. In this case, theconstruction of the bucket or blade may be as shown in Figs. 8 and 9,with the blades I30 curved in plan to correspond to the periphery of thedischarge end of the nozzle N, and with the blades also slightly curvedin a tangential plane to facilitate transverse discharge of the gases. 7

Several forms and modifications of the invention having been thusdescribed, the invention is not to be limited to the details hereindisclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what isclaimed is:

1. In a rocket apparatus, a combustion chamber having a dischargenozzle, a pair of turbines mov able into and out of the path of travelof the discharged combustion gases, feeding means for combustion liquidsoperated by said turbines, means to move said turbines transversely ofsaid path of travel, and control devices for said moving meansresponsive to pressure changes in said combustion chamber and operativeto maintain uniform chamber pressure.

2. In a rocket apparatus, a combustion chamber mounted for axialmovement and having a discharge nozzle, a pair of turbines movable intoand out of the path of travel of the combustion gases. low-pressurestorage tanks for combustion liquids, pumps driven by said turbines andfeeding said liquids at high pressure to said combustion chamber, andautomatic means responsive to the axial position of said combustionchamber and effective to shift said turbines radially of said chamber onaxial movement of said chamber, thereby maintaining uniform combustionchamber pressure.

3. In a rocket apparatus, a combustion chamber mounted for axialmovement and having a discharge nozzle. a pair of turbines movable intoand out of the path of travel of the combustion gases, low-pressurestorage tanks for combustion liquids. pumps driven by said turbines andfeeding said liquids at high pressure to said combustionchamber,automatic means responsive to the axial position of saidcombustion chamber and effective to shift said turbines radially of saidchamber on axial movement of said chamber, thereby maintaining uniformcombustion chamber pressure, and means to vary the resistance of saidchamber to axial displacement.

4. In a rocket apparatus, a combustion chamber mounted for axialmovement, a spring to resist such movement of said chamber, a pair ofturbines operated by the discharged combustion gases, fuel-feeding meansdriven by said turbines, and means to move said turbines in and 6 out ofthe gas stream in predetermined relation to the axial displacement ofthe chamber.

5. The combination in a rocket apparatus as set forth in claim 4, inwhich means is provided to vary the effective resistance of said springto the axial displacement of said combustion chambet.

6. The combination in a rocket apparatus as set forth in claim4, inwhich bellows operators are provided which are connected to increase ordecrease the effective action of said spring as pressure is applied toone or the other of said operators.

7. The combination in a rocket apparatus as set forth in claim 4, inwhich the turbines are mounted in carriers movable radially of saidcombustion chamber on a frame fixed in said apparatus, and in which saidframe has rack bars and said carriers have coacting pinions, and inwhich means is provided to rotate said pinions and thereby move saidcarriers in response to changes in the axial position of said chamber.

8. The combination in a rocket apparatus as set forth in claim 4, inwhich the turbines are mounted in carriers movable radially of saidcombustion hamber on a frame fixed in said apparatus, and in which saidframe has rack bars and said carriers have coacting pinions, and inwhich additional rack bars are movable axially relative to said fixedframe and are operative to rotate said pinions and thereby move saidcarriers in response to changes in the axial position of said combustionchamber.

ESTHER C. GODDARD, Executria: of the Last Will and Testament of RobertH. Goddard, Deceased.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date

